Please give me your top tips for getting your kids to help tidy up

[Bewarethequietboy]

Just that really, what works for you to get your kids to help with tidying up?

I have 3 dcs - ds1 7, dd 5 and ds2 2 and they just seem so slow and ineffective at putting things away that it drives me mad!

Ds2 is still in that helpful stage of going and putting things away in the right box if he's given them, ie cars in the car box, duplo in the duplo box etc, but I know this won't last so I'm asking for suggestions to change my approach.

I feel like I've done all I can with making it easy for them with trofast storage, boxes for things etc.

However dd has always been terrible at it, just gets distracted, can't be bothered etc. Ds1 change quite good but does get sidetracked by who got the things out.

It either ends up with me getting cross and just saying things like " just do it!!!" ( really helpful I know ) Or I can't face the battle of getting them to do it and do it with once they're in bed. But I know that's not helpful in the long run.

Any ideas very gratefully received
Thanks

peg chore charts work well for us. i'll attach a picture. basically, you write all the things to do on a peg, and then the kids have to move the pegs to the other side of the board once they have completed the activity. if all the pegs have been moved over by a certain time, then they get a star sticker. 5 star stickers= a treat! (small blind bag from poundland, a lollypop, etc). all the best x

I have the same problem with my DD, especially the getting distracted. She's almost 5 so similar age to yours. Two things have (sort of) worked for us. One is breaking into tasks, so rather than saying tidy your room, I'll ask her to pick up the books, then once that is done to put dirty clothes in the laundry basket. The other thing is making a game of it, so who can pick up the most Lego etc.

Downside of both of these is that you have to be there or nearby but I'm hoping as she gets older she can figure out the individual tasks herself rather than being overwhelmed by where to start.

Loud music, two tracks, fast tidy time for all. Visitors included. Usually works really well.

Mine are 17 and 16 still no idea how to get them to sort their shit out